Article

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence and patterns of self-reported
musculoskeletal symptoms in community-dwelling stroke survivors and their impact
on common activities of daily living. METHODS: Analysis of data from two
consecutive postal surveys in northern England. Data on overall joint pain,
swelling or stiffness and difficulties with daily living tasks were obtained from
16,222 individuals aged >/= 55 years (a response rate of 86%). Information on
stroke-specific impairments was obtained from the 415 individuals who reported a stroke.
RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of stroke survivors reported musculoskeletal
symptoms. There was a greater prevalence of reported symptoms in the smaller
peripheral joints: 23.4% of stroke survivors reported symptoms in the ankle joint
compared with 12.3% in the general population aged >/= 55 years. Although both
stroke-specific impairments and musculoskeletal pain contributed to difficulty in
functional tasks, the effect of both was more than additive (for example, left
hip symptoms increased the risk of having difficulty with standing and walking by
10.3 times (95% confidence interval 1.0, 106.3); stroke affecting the right leg
increased the odds by 4.8 times (95% confidence interval 2.5, 9.2). Having both
impairments increased the odds by 49.1 times (95% confidence interval 10.7, 225.4)).
CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal symptoms are common in people with stroke and can have a significant additional effect on disability.

Langue : ANGLAIS